PS Vita still has a place in the handheld market, says Yoshida

The Vita has under-performed since its worldwide 2012 launch. In a market where dedicated handhelds are in danger of getting squeezed out, president of SCE Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has insisted that Sony can still play a significant role in the handheld market.

CVG asked Yoshida whether he thinks the Vita will Sony’s last portable gaming system, and whether or not he sees the company continuing to play a role in the handheld market in the future. “”Yeah I think we can still pursue it, and I don’t think we have to make that decision now.

“Also, the distinction between the portables and mobile is [blurring], because there are all kinds of hybrids, different form factors and operating systems can still be conceived, in terms of how we characterise portable and mobile. We still like PS Vita and we know people who buy it really like it.”

The Vita price-tag was cut in Japan back in February, and Sony has now announced a price drop in the US and Europe too. A significant portion of the company’s gamescom event was focused on Vita, showing not only new games coming to the system, but also how it’ll work with almost all PS4 games to support off-screen play. Only time will tell how this will affect Vita’s fortunes.